O.K.This is page4!
Growing up in Glenurquhart!
This is the fourth of several pages about the 10 years I lived in the "Glen",at Shenval and at school in Corrimony,in the 1960`s.

The Horses and Dod Hay,the woodman.
There were 2 horses like the one above,stabled at Shenval and they were used to drag felled timber out of the forrest.I remember being lifted up onto the brown one`s back by my father and being told to hang on tight to its black mane.It had a warm smell,and lumpy bones on its back and my legs were nearly out at right angles.My mother remembers the other horse,Betsy,the white one. Willie Cooper ,the horseman kept it in the field in front of our house,on its days off and would collect it about tea-time and lead it up the side of our house towards the stable up the back near the wood.It always stopped to get a "piece".One day,Mum was hanging out washing on the back green, when our neighbour,Mrs Cheyne came running to mum,"Quick Mrs Thomson,Betsy is going in your front door"The horse had got out of the field and was looking for her " piece".Mum went in the back door and found the front end of Betsy in the front hall. She had a terrible job persuading her to back out the door,flower pots got smashed and most of the front garden was wrecked. Mrs Cheyne was doubled up with laughter.Mum got her own back on April 1st.Mrs Cheyne was hanging out her washing,Mum told her that Jackie the post,had left a great big parcel on her front step.They both raced round to the front and Mum shouted "April Fool,Mrs C!" Much swearing followed.

Dod Hay lived many years in this caravan.No running water or toilet,a wood burning stove.He was pretty grubby and stubbly and always wore a black round beret.He was easy going and had a north east accent. The Broadley boys were always hanging about with him,or staying overnight.Dod and Mr & Mrs Broadley,Eddie and Margaret made their way to the nearest pub,The Lewiston Arms at the week-ends. I joined some of the boys sometimes in the game of putting a divet of earth on top of Dod`s chimney and seeing who could stay the longest in the smoke filled caravan.Seemed fun at the time!

Dod had the first car in Shenval,like the one above.I remember the thrill of squeezing into the back and getting a "hurl" up and down the dirt track to his caravan and later when it was a wreck,playing at "Drivers" with Billy Broadley.It had a great big wood rimmed steering wheel with chrome wire spoked supports and runner boards and head lights that sat on top of the front wheel arches.The Broadley boys all learned to drive in it.

Go back. More about SHENVAL